…Denies Link to IPOB Leader’s Medical Report, Says Investigation Remains Ongoing
The Department of State Services (DSS) has confirmed the arrest and subsequent release of Dr. Martin Aghaji, the medical expert who examined detained Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) leader, Nnamdi Kanu, insisting that the operation was not connected to Kanu, his medical report or the activities of the separatist group.
Dr. Aghaji, a retired professor of medicine, was arrested at his residence in Enugu State on Friday and later released on administrative bail on Sunday after meeting the conditions set by the security agency.
His arrest had generated controversy following allegations by Kanu’s lawyer, Aloy Ejimakor, that the physician was targeted because of an independent medical report he prepared on the detained IPOB leader.
Ejimakor alleged that the report differed from an earlier medical assessment associated with the DSS and claimed that Dr. Aghaji had faced official harassment since submitting his findings.
“This is the height of the official harassment he has been facing since he issued the medical report that did not comport with the SSS’s medical report on Mazi Nnamdi Kanu,” Ejimakor wrote in a series of posts on his X account.
The lawyer further alleged that security operatives arrived at Dr. Aghaji’s residence at about 3:00 a.m., forced their way into the premises after damaging the gate and fired gunshots during the operation before taking the medical expert away.
According to Ejimakor, the physician was subsequently transported to Lagos.
However, the DSS has strongly rejected suggestions that the arrest was connected to Kanu or IPOB.
Reacting to the controversy on Monday, DSS spokesperson, Favour Dozie, confirmed that Dr. Aghaji was arrested but maintained that the action had nothing to do with the detained separatist leader.
“He was arrested, but not in connection with Nnamdi Kanu,” Dozie said.
Although the DSS spokesperson declined to disclose further details, citing an ongoing investigation, she described attempts to link the arrest to Kanu’s medical situation as unfounded.
Dozie also confirmed that Dr. Aghaji was granted administrative bail on Sunday after providing a suitable surety.
The medical expert was subsequently released into the custody of the leadership of the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) in Lagos.
Ejimakor had earlier announced Dr. Aghaji’s release and acknowledged the intervention of the NMA and other professional bodies in efforts that led to his freedom.
Meanwhile, a senior DSS official, who reportedly spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorised to address the media, claimed that the physician’s arrest was connected to an investigation into alleged financial transactions involving individuals described by the official as high-profile criminal suspects.
The official alleged that investigators questioned Dr. Aghaji about the transactions during interrogation and insisted that the investigation was unrelated to Nnamdi Kanu, IPOB or the medical report prepared by the physician.
The claims regarding the alleged financial transactions have not been independently verified, and the DSS has not publicly disclosed the nature of the transactions, the identities of the individuals allegedly involved or whether any formal charges have been filed against Dr. Aghaji.
The development has continued to attract public attention, particularly because of Dr. Aghaji’s previous involvement in assessing Kanu’s health while the IPOB leader remains in detention.
For now, the DSS maintains that the doctor’s arrest arose from a separate investigation and not from his professional involvement with Kanu.
The security agency says investigations are ongoing, while further details are expected to emerge as the matter develops.
